Souvenirs on the cheap (the best flea market shopping around): Part I, England

Whether you're looking for a metal statuette of Big Ben or a century-old pocket watch, you can get it for mere pence if you know where to dig--er, look. My travel buddies were going broke at Harrod's while I was uncovering piles of great stuff here:

Portobello Road
This enormous market holds rare European treasures for those with patience and good walking shoes. Be there early on a Saturday (stalls open around 6 a.m., and many close shortly after noon), and be prepared to haggle. The south end of the market features serious antiques such as hard-to-find stereo viewers--a type of Victorian Viewmaster that makes photos appear to be 3-D--while the far end has 'jumble sales'--that is, mixtures of used stuff spread out on blankets, from teapots to £5 silk dresses. Fashionistas, look for the stall selling Mary Quant striped and patterned tights--they're double the price back in the states.

Brick Lane
Consider this for the hardcore treasure-hunter who wants to roll up her sleeves and tap a vein of genuine, raw (i.e. unwashed) London artifacts. Be warned: It's barely a stinky breath away from simply excavating the town dump, and the delicate of nose may find herself thinking it's exactly like pawing through trash. Prepare yourself for open-maw garage doors pouring broken parts, talking dolls, metal machinery, the odd piece of jewelry and much more into the streets. Brave? Step inside one of those dark garages to paw through bins of who-can-know-what's-more.

Located in the midst of an Indian and Bangladeshi enclave (locally dubbed "Banglatown"), Brick Lane is flanked by sari shops and Indian restaurants. If the shop doors are locked at an early hour, the owners are probably out for the midday call to prayer. Listen for the song of the muezzin.

Spitalfields
Sundays are the happening day (10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) for this funky bohemian market, a short walk from Aldgate or Shoreditch tube stations and within walking distance of Brick Lane. Expect a new-agey feel with an organic market and young fashion designers selling high style at relatively low prices (I picked up a fluttering, layered black skirt for about $10). Expect new items that help light the road to enlightenment, also: glass pipes, incense and herbs with reputed mojo-enhancing effects were among the wares during my last visit.

Wanna find the punk and mod heart of London? It still exists in a few choice spots. Stay tuned for the flamingo-haired details.